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| Mesquite tree in bloom |
The mesquite trees, which are all over the property, are starting to bloom. They bloom in mid-Summer and are actually very pretty.
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| Mesquite flowers |
They have these delicate yellow and white flowers that hang down in long tufts of color...and if I'm not mistaken, these eventually turn into seed pods...seed pods that can be dried and the ground into flour! This will be the first year we've been there on a regular basis during the 'pod season', so hopefully that will be something we can try.
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| Honeybee on a mesquite flower |
And the bees LOVE them. I spotted this little lady on one of the flowers doing her thing. It was funny, I was standing by one of the trees taking pictures and could hear the hum of buzzing bees all around me. It was kind of nice and relaxing in a way. We're going to be lucky when we have our hives that the bees will be producing mesquite honey, which contrary to what it might sound like, is supposed to be delicious. Not a mesquite taste like you would find in BBQ, ha, it's supposed to be a much more delicate and sweeter taste. In fact, at the bee school I went to, in one of the classes on landscaping for bees, the instructor said mesquite honey commands a higher price per weight than standard honey. We'll see!
UPDATE:
Off to the farm today, Saturday, not sure much will get done it's HOT HOT HOT.
Enjoy your weekend!
Beautiful.
ReplyDeleteDad told stories of mesquite groves in California in the early forties.
Thanks! That's so cool, I can imagine what that must have been like.
Deletei don't know what is blooming here now but i sneezed all day. i can't wait until you get your bees!
ReplyDeleteHope you are feeling better, I hate allergy season. Yes, bees are coming in a few months! So excited!!!
DeleteI have never seen mesquite flowers. Pretty!
ReplyDeleteHonestly, until they bloomed when we first went out there, we didn't either, ha.
DeleteI’ve lived around mesquite trees my entire life and never realized their unique beauty. That is so interesting about making flour from the seed pods.
ReplyDeleteThat sure is a beautiful photo of the bee on the mesquite flower.
Your future bees are going to be so happy with all the mesquites on your property - and y’all are going to be so happy with their honey!
Yes, we’re in the midst of a heat wave -- or is it just called August-in-Texas! Take it easy in this heat - and drink lots of iced tea on your porch!
August in Texas, hate it. Iced tea definitely hits the spot.
DeleteThey do have a unique beauty don't they? I know many farmers consider them a nuisance, they are covered in thorns and rarely grow straight and tall, but we find them very pretty (except the thorns, ha).
How interesting!! Do the flower/ pods have a scent? What about the flour--does it have smokey flavor? Or does the flavor/ scent only come from the wood?
ReplyDeleteNope, I checked for a scent but if it's there, I didn't get it. Honestly, I've never had the flour, but we hope to try it sometime. I believe the scent/flavor only comes from the wood. We've had some mesquite honey and it's delicious. Not smokey at all, lol. Just kind of light and sweet. Hard to describe. Stay tuned for flour updates if we can make it happen.
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